Safety Signs and Road Signs Information

The Boise Stop

It’s fairly simple: you see a stop sign and you stop. We’re conditioned at a very young age to understand what the red and white octagonal sign means and yet in Boise, Idaho police officers are cracking down on more drivers than ever for failing to stop at one particular intersection.

To analyze the intersection, the Idaho Statesman filmed traffic for four minutes. In that brief amount of time, several vehicles are shown either barreling through the stop sign without even touching their brakes or slowing down just enough to check both ways. Only one person actually stops at the sign before proceeding.

While rolling stops are certainly a problem at the intersection, the growing concern continues to be that many drivers don’t even slow down. This is especially troubling because the intersection is a major pedestrian crosswalk near an elementary school and approaching a public library.

On a multi-lane road, like the one in the video, MUTCD compliant stop signs are at least 30 inches in width and height. So, police officers aren’t likely to accept the excuse that you didn’t see the sign. Failing to stop not only nets you a $90 fine but it also includes three points on your driving record. Do your wallet and everyone else a favor when you come to a stop sign: stop.